Chapter Twenty-One
Within the exquisitely delicate bed curtains, the rich and tranquil fragrance gradually faded. The expensive sandalwood, musk, and agarwood incense in the censer had not yet burned out but were hastily removed, leaving only the bitter medicinal scent to recklessly envelop the dim, confined space.
Her body felt as though it were sinking downward, yet her soul soared upward on the trail of this fragrance—unbound, drifting, ascending toward a place she had praised day and night for years.
Vast clouds of rosy hues spread out, vibrant and splendid—exquisitely beautiful—but the crimson glow was like fire, setting ablaze even the buildings resting upon them.
Confused, she looked around until she saw her younger cousin, Deyin, who naturally headed toward that fiery spectacle.
Deyin spoke, “Have you made up your mind?”
“Made up my mind about what?”
Deyin gently coaxed, “What do you want?”
She was stunned for a moment; her foggy mind suddenly cleared brightly:
“I want a golden finger!”
“All right,” Deyin replied, “but what will you offer in exchange?”
A cloud drifted into her clear mind once more.
Why must she exchange “something” for it?
If she were a prince or minister, it might make sense, but she was merely an exiled imperial princess in Shu, a little girl not regarded as an equal by anyone. She had no power, no territory, could not even muster an army. What could she possibly offer?
Was this world not supposed to proactively grant her something?
Could it be that the one speaking to her was not an immortal but a trickster?
“I have nothing,” she cautiously probed at last, “What do you want?”
“You don’t have nothing; you just haven’t reached the desperate point where you must trade something,” Deyin said. “You always believe every difficulty can be solved by wit and intelligence.”
“Humans differ from beasts,” Zhao Luming said, “Isn’t it wisdom?”
“If you think so,” her cousin said, “then I have already given you something.”
“Given me what? Aren’t you mine as well? You even exhausted four horses to carry you, and two laborers were severely injured and crippled from the burden—”
Deyin, the clan princess—the very red streak—seemed to emerge from a Taihu stone, floating before her.
Her face was exactly the same as hers, yet it bore a coldness she had never possessed.
“I gave you a sword,” she said, “and you have benefited greatly.”
Inside the bed curtains, drowsiness lingered as people came and went in shifts—mostly physicians, some palace maids, and once, Yuwen Shizhong, who, due to his high rank and past teacher-student bond with the imperial princess, was allowed to take a peek at her state after taking the decoction. Others waited anxiously in the front hall of Lingying Palace.
They were waiting, but not really waiting, for everyone was desperate.
What a calamity this was! Who could have imagined it! The family had been raided, and she exiled for a great crime! A great crime! Each of them had only managed to appear before the imperial princess through the utmost efforts of their ancestral tombs’ blessings! They had bright futures, life plans that could have advanced further—now, not only themselves but their entire families were doomed!
Those years of arduous study, the moment they knocked on the emperor’s door, those promised lives with wives and children sheltered, successful careers, even immortal fame in history—all suddenly shattered.
The county magistrate was the first to lose his composure. “This fatherless, rulerless traitor! How could such a young girl, not even of age, have such audacity? Surely someone is behind this!”
“Yes, yes! She must be subjected to severe torture immediately! Only by forcing the truth out can justice be served!” the county constable immediately chimed in. “I will—”
Someone suddenly stepped forward, blocking their path.
“That little maid is already detained behind the hall, under strict guard,” the old eunuch interjected. “You two officials cannot interrogate her.”
“She committed an offense within Nanzheng City,” the constable urged, “How can we not question her?!”
“She injured the imperial princess—this is a grave crime. If she were to be tortured into confessing falsely and then killed to silence her,” the old eunuch said, “would there be no evidence left?”
Though old, the eunuch’s cold gaze swept over the magistrate and constable, and they grew timid.
Yet timidness mixed with urgency, almost to tears, “What does Your Excellency wish to do?”
“The imperial princess has not awakened,” Cao Fu said, “Of course, we must send a memorial to the court and leave the decision to the authorities.”
The words “leave the decision to the authorities” exploded in the Taoist priest Li Weiyi’s ears like thunderstorm after thunderstorm.
What? This matter must be reported?
Of course, it must! He must have been delirious, cowering weakly in a corner. The swarm of flies that had been buzzing around him scattered at this thunderclap, leaving him alone, struggling to catch his breath.
His panic was simple: all these girls had been bought by him!
He specifically selected daughters from poor, ruined families, feeling proud of himself! Without his scheming with the eunuchs of West City Office, without the vast lands acquired and these girls secured cheaply, the matter could never have been handled so smoothly and elegantly! Such refined, well-mannered girls—he planned to report to Lingying Palace at a price of one hundred strings of cash each, but a mere little maid cost less than ten strings!
Now it was all over. Who would have thought among them lurked a Jing Ke! His lucrative post had turned into a sword that pierced his heart in an instant!
Chaos remained in the front hall, but the Taoist priest had risen and quietly slipped out, his steps light and unnoticed amid the ruckus.
Within an hour, his memorial had been sent out of the city on horseback. In it, he blamed the magistrate entirely! If the magistrate had not sent the girls from the disgraced families into Lingying Palace, the imperial princess would never have been harmed!
Some pale-faced men gathered around the old eunuch.
“Oh, sir! Have mercy on your descendants!” Their eyes reddened, tears streaming as they clutched the old man’s sleeve. “Now that things have come to this, what should we do?”
Cao Fu squinted, his bark-like face wrinkled as he looked at them one by one. “What do you want to do?”
“How are we to know what to do?” The little eunuch who had been applying medicated plasters was more alert and resourceful. “Perhaps, sir, you should go see how the imperial princess is doing?”
At those words, the eunuchs nodded like chickens pecking grain.
“Oh, sir! Oh, sir! It’s the second day! The sun is almost setting! There’s still no news from the imperial princess’s side. Let’s go see how she is!”
It was then that Zhao Luming awoke.
Though she had taken a decoction to calm her nerves and relieve pain, any movement in the inner chamber roused her immediately.
Beyond the bed curtains, a figure was faintly visible.
Alert, she asked, “Who is it?”
“Old servant Cao Fu.”
“Imperial princess, do not worry,” Peilan whispered softly.
Cao Fu stepped closer, stopping three paces from the bed curtains.
“Imperial princess took the medicine—has her condition improved?”
“Much improved,” she said. “The sword wound wasn’t deep. It was bandaged and stopped bleeding, so there is no danger.”
“That’s good,” Cao Fu said. “But does the imperial princess not wish to sleep a while longer?”
She had slept a full day and night and now felt somewhat hungry. Hearing this, she was a bit confused.
“There’s quite a disturbance outside,” the old eunuch said. “Wait a bit longer; it will quiet down naturally.”
The shadow in her dream suddenly became clear, and she fully woke.
“In that case, I’ll sleep a little more,” she agreed obediently.
Cao Fu bowed, placed something on the table, then turned and left.
She drew the curtain slightly and peeked; Peilan brought in the package.
“It’s rice cake,” she sat by the bed, tasted a bit, then frowned. “No sugar added.”
The flavor was plain but clean, without any strange taste.
As Cao Fu emerged from the inner chamber, the eunuchs blocking the rear hall’s door surged forward.
“Oh, sir, what news?”
The old man sighed, his expression darker than the setting sun. “The imperial princess has developed a high fever. Alas… the imperial princess is of noble celestial birth—she must have destiny!”
When he said this, the eunuchs understood perfectly.
It was over! Over! They had thought this was a cushy post, traveling thousands of miles, laboring across mountains for months. Now it was all lost!
Before the sun had fully set, news of the imperial princess’s death quietly spread throughout Nanzheng City, sending many into panic.
They had paid much to the West City Office, which had promised to let them handle the imperial princess’s lands. After all, she was just a little girl; her name was worth little. The main profits would be theirs! They would take thirty percent of the farmers’ grain, send thirty percent to the West City Office to honor the nobility, especially benefactor Li Yan, and another thirty percent to the palace—this was the emperor’s grace, for which they were eternally grateful, never forgetting to offer tribute and repay the state!
Finally, ten percent would be left for the imperial princess—what remained in her fingers, enough for a little girl’s expenses. What a fine arrangement!
Now it was all ruined! No money, but a massive blame was about to be pinned on them!
That was the emperor’s celestial child, who had died under their watch! If the court became angry, they would all be sent to Lingnan, eating three hundred lychees a day!
Alas, what a wretched time!
Within and outside Lingying Palace, a furious mass exodus began.
Countless people rolled up newly unpacked bedding, packed their belongings, prepared carts and horses, and surged toward the still-open city gates!
There came landed gentry who had bought official positions from Lizhou Road, minor officials who had traveled from Bianjing with the entourage, pale-faced eunuchs, palace maids, and little maids. They quickly stripped off their robes, hoping to blend in as ordinary women, and escaped amid the chaos.
Entire streets boarded up their doors, with no one daring to peek out at the deadly commotion. Yet the common folk still wondered, why haven't the county constables arrested anyone?
A clever person answered, “Hey! Our old bosses are busy buying coffin boards; who has time to bother with them? Besides, even if they had time, how many of these fleeing people are under their jurisdiction?”
Ji Lan stood in the brightly lit main hall, looking fierce.
“Those traitorous servants want to run; let them run! Their own belongings can go with them. But there’s one thing—the imperial princess’s trunks, money, and these ritual implements and scriptures—we must guard them well!
“Those assigned to the gates must guard the gates; those on night watch must patrol all night. No slacking these days! And no ill intentions!”
This tiny girl held up the register that should have been in the Taoist priest’s hands and shouted, “Everything belonging to the imperial princess is accounted for here! Watch carefully! If the trunks are intact and not a single coin lost, there will be rewards when the princess wakes! But if anything is missing, I’ll accept the first punishment, and no one else will escape!”
Cao Fu ambled over slowly, glanced, cleared his throat, and ambled away.
A few people remained unchecked, and the old man slowly made his way toward the quarters of the three Gaogian brothers.
The three were deliberating what to do.
The youngest had no idea and wiped tears;
The middle hesitated, whispering, “Shall we leave? Would that be disloyal? But everyone’s afraid of being blamed by the authorities; if it involves our parents...”
The eldest made the final decision.
“We can’t run!”
Zhao Yan declared loudly, “Think about it! Though we belong to the Song dynasty, aren’t we still of lowly birth? Who respects us? Our ancestors were brave and wise, yet we never made it in court. If we leave the imperial princess, what future do we have?!”
“Big brother, what should we do?” the second and third brothers said in awe. “We’ll follow you!”
“I say we keep vigil and pray before the princess’s hall! If she wakes, we win and eat meat! If a mishap befalls her, we die with her, leaving a loyal name for our family. The Zhao family values honor! Our parents will have a bowl of soup then!”
With that resolve, they took their daggers, came to the steps before the hall, knelt and kowtowed thrice. The eldest placed his dagger on the ground and began praying.
“We three boys offer our blood and flesh here! Only praying for the imperial princess’s safety!” Zhao Yan, long a false little maid without even a divine title, shouted loudly, “Begging the merciful gods and buddhas of the heavens for mercy and salvation!”
The second and third brothers echoed, “We beg you!”
Inside the hall, the imperial princess, eating rice cake, suddenly choked.
“Those Liao people seem to believe in Buddhism,” Peilan whispered.